Rockstar North president Leslie Benzies told Jeuxactu (translated by OXM):
"We want to surprise people with very intense missions from the start. The pace of the game is much faster than any of its predecessors.
"
From the beginning, we want to show off the new game mechanics while creating intense, action-packed gameplay, to capture the player's attention immediately.
"Remember that the three characters in the game are already living in the city of Los Santos and surrounding areas," Benzies added. "They are not newcomers like Niko and Tommy Vercetti, or people returning after a long absence like CJ.
"They already have contacts, they are integrated with the world and lead a busy life - these characteristics should give players a sense of immediate and total immersion."
Benzies went on to say that
GTA 5's three main characters won't all be playable from the outset.
"We want to give the player the opportunity to
get to know the three characters individually, and explore the world as each of them, and it would not have been possible if all three had been available from the start."
http://www.computerandvideogames.com...-predecessors/